post Turkey Day.... not yet another holiday but watch out...

Whooooooh....it was just this beautiful autumn season in Ohio, trees full of leaves, warm days, cool nights, Halloween decorations on the shelves from just after when the swimming pools close and not too many Christmas decorations out yet.

It is cold in the morning now, and it gets colder as the day goes on. It is dark when you leave for work and it is dark when you come home, and when the sun is out you are inside a building and can't enjoy it. But when the leaves are down from the trees you can see the dark beautiful boldness of the trunk and branches reaching up to the sky. When you drive home at night the darkness is brightened by the holiday lights on homes and in the yards.

People are starting to light the logs in the fireplaces at night and the air will be filled with the sweet smell of the hearth. It is late fall now and the season is changing to winter. The stars are a little brighter in the sky at night when the it is clear out. Stop for a minute before you go in the house and breath in the cool sweet air. It will be the holidays soon, and maybe too soon they will be over. Don't miss them before they happen.

Gobble Gobble Gobble

The Offical White House Turkey Photo. It wasn't a Thanksgiving Holiday to start with, it was a fall harvest gathering, celebrated on and off in New England from Pilgrim times. George Washington, as President declared it a time to give thanks, but not all presidents issued Thanksgiving Proclamations unitl Abe Lincoln in 1863. Since 1947, in the Truman Administration a turkey has been presented to the President, which is 'pardoned' by the Chief Executive.

It is a time to give thanks, a time for friends and family to gather together. eating too much, parades, watching television, playing football, and eating too much. Rituals are standardized activites that we follow. That standardization can provide stability and comfort but the rituals become very important. I hope that the rituals you use to celebrate, do not become a burden.

Holidays are reflective of values that are important to us. Thanksgiving speaks to us about being grateful for the bounties we have received through the year, of family and friends, but also of the importance of diversity and helping those in need.

An Iconic "Lucky" Number- a Veteran's Day Observation

World War I was the "War to End All Wars", the "Great War" and when it ended the world saw a picture of industrialized devistation unimagined before. The Treaty of Versaille did not end war, three decades later an even greater war sweept throught he world, and with the end of that conflict came the conflict between the victors, the Cold War that persisted until the 1990's. Perhaps that Great War was just one part of an on going conflict that went on until the end of the century, that it was the Great War.

Numbers are very symbolic for us, we infuse them with special meanings for us, that help to sharpen our cultural focus. In our generation, 9/11 has become more then a date in time, it is an icon of American Pride in a confusing and ever changing world. It is not the first time we have had such an iconic number that we have clung to. The number used to be 11, 11, 11. The lucky elevens! November 11th at 11:00 a.m. (1918) the cannons and guns ceased firing across Europe for the first time in a war that lasted four years of pounding destruction. The number 11 became a symbol of the peace and tranquility that suddenly came to European Civilization, like the Red Poppy, for those soldiers and civilians that lived throught the Great War.

We are at war again, now in a different part of the world. We honored our citizen soldiers for a day, we marched in parades and reflected on the sacrifices they have made on our behalf. We honor those that we did not parade for when they returned home from Korea, South East Asia, from the Balkan countries. We do we go from here?

In two weeks it will be Thanksgiving, and are thoughts turn to feasting and shopping, will we forget sacrifice the brave soldiers make every day, how will we honor them not that the parade is over for another year?

An Iconic "Lucky" Number- a Veteran

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Another important ritual....

This Tuesday is another important ritual in our Popular Culture. No, it isn't going to a Popular Culture class :-( it is time for you to move on from there.

The important ritual is Election Day! Many people take our freedoms for granted, and given that it might be inconvient and in todays world some might even question the reliability of the voting process, the election is a ritual that should reflect our belief in the democratic process (strained as it might be), and the ability of the individual to contribute to society.

We too often take freedom for granted, it is a right that must be exercised to be strong. Be a good student of American Society, spend a little time to find out about the candidates and issues (there are not a lot of issues).

Stengthen our society and VOTE ON TUESDAY.